a little bit more about the auction

penland's 25th annual benefit auction was aug 13 and 14th. this year's event was lots of fun and very busy. i was more relaxed this year, but still felt a little on edge. there is so much that happens in those two short days and watching one's work auctioned off in such an important auction is nerve-wracking. however, it really was exciting and an all-around excellent experience.

i began my day on friday by cutting fruit in the pines' kitchen with fellow resident margaret cogswell. (all the residents help a little "behind the scenes.") then i ran home to change clothes so i could attend an artist talk at the penland gallery followed by the "director's luncheon," a special luncheon for "lucy morgan leaders." i sat with a lovely group of friends and met lots of auction attendees; there were toasts and short speeches and the food was excellent. next i went home to finish some last-minute details in my studio and to change clothes again for the late afternoon and evening events, including an artist reception, cocktail party with live music, and a live-action preview. around 7 everyone headed to the big tent for dinner and friday's live auction, followed by a dessert and live music party. i left around 11 to get myself in bed because i knew saturday was going to be a big day.

check out this link to a beautiful picture of the tent on friday night.

at 7am the next morning i met with the volunteers who would be taking care of the resident breakfast. after i helped them get situated i spruced up my studio one last time and began welcoming patrons. once the last attendee had left i did a quick clean-up and got myself to the live auction and lunch under the tent. all the residents had pieces in this auction and it was exciting to see our work bid on. the most exciting moment, however, was when hoss haley's sculpture was auctioned. hoss gave an eloquent speech and then the bidding began. when it was all over everyone was on their feet cheering.

toric knot by hoss haley

the fruit i mentioned earlier was served at the resident artists' event "breakfast at the barns" where auction attendees get a complimentary handmade mug for their coffee along with breakfast goodies to enjoy as they visit each resident studio. this year's sale was excellent and i am very pleased with how well it went. a special thank you to my friend's who helped that morning, courtney martin, beth schaible, and marianne dages. i couldn't have done it without them.

more on flickr.

auction prep: regal graffiti

for the past few weeks i've been making lots of work for the annual penland benefit auction. on saturday, august 14th the residents will host a special show and sale at 9am. it's called "breakfast at the barns" and auction-goers who attend get a lovely handmade mug for their coffee along with breakfast goodies to enjoy as they visit our studios and shop. last year's event was a huge success and we are all hoping for a repeat this year.

i made a number of new spray painted pieces including some single pendants, lots of earrings, and a few big necklaces. my color palate at the moment is red-light blue-yellow-hot pink-white. in the past i've hesitated a lot before painting the work, debating which colors to use and how to layer them, but i've found in making this work that i really like these specific colors and i am comfortable with them. painting was easy and i barely had to think.

i also created a new spray booth which has been great to use. it's safer and efficient and that makes spray painting so much easier.

more images on flickr.

thanks for reading.

auction recap

the penland auction was pretty incredible, exciting, busy, tiring, exciting..."breakfast at the barns," the resident artists' event, was the busiest hour and half i have ever experienced. a lot of work walked out the door.
following the breakfast was a luncheon and live auction. the michael sherril piece featured on the cover of the catalog (see top) went for $31,000. it was a thrilling moment for everyone, not just for those bidding. my piece (pictured below from the catalog) was auctioned off during this event as well. i was a nervous wreck as the bidding began and was not able to settle down until it was over. afterward i went back to my studio to welcome last minute visitors as they headed home. joe sam queen, our senator, stopped by and purchased some earrings. that was a pretty exciting way to end the event for sure!
thanks for reading.

auction!

the penland benefit auction has begun. i just got home from the day's events including meet the artists reception, auction preview, cocktails and live music, dinner, live auction, and dessert reception. what a fun night! i am home "early" to try to get some sleep before day 2 begins tomorrow bright and early at 7:30am. the residents will be gathering then to finish preparations for "breakfast at the barns" which begins at 9am.

here are a few pictures - my studio and the beautiful flowers given to me by the school.

thanks for reading.

auction prep and new necklace

the annual penland benefit auction starts this friday and i've been busy making all kinds of jewelry for the occasion. auction attendees will be touring the penland campus and visiting the resident studios throughout the weekend. then on saturday we host "breakfast at the barns," a studio tour and sale with pastries and coffee. i've been told this 1 1/2 hour event can be very busy as well as the weekend in general, but who knows what will happen this year with the economy...i feel prepared and ready for whatever happens.

i started this necklace for the event two weeks ago and finished it the other day. i made it using mostly scraps from my scrap bin. the largest shape is from weeks ago and is something i just did not like after i made it. i challenged myself to use it as the focal point for a new piece and added the pop-up cut-outs to complement it. when i first finished it it didn't feel right to me so i let it hang out for a week. then i went back at it and made a few adjustments - i removed the popped-up parts, added a few more cut-outs, made it a bit longer, and made the center piece asymmetrical. then i flipped it so the staple-like connections are now face forward. now i like it.

thanks for reading.